OUT OF BEAT by Cassandra Giovanni BOOK REVIEW

She hasn't seen that boyish face, always covered in a five o'clock shadow, dimpled smile and teasing hazel eyes since the day he left to go on tour with her brother Joey's band. Now with a major record label backing them the band is in need of a bit of help, and when Joey asks Skylar to be the band's photographer, she can't help but say yes.

Between unpacking (we bought a house!) and the holidays, my reading time SUFFERED...greatly. Much to my dismay, it took me quite a bit longer to finish reading this book. Boo, I know!! But finally, after sneaking in some much needed and overdue reading time, I finished!

I must say, I really enjoyed Danny and Sky's *heartwarming* story. From their teenage years, they shared an intense and undeniable connection that would undoubtedly withstand the test of time. I knew it. Their chemistry only got stronger as the years passed and while they both had deep scars, they only brought them closer. They bonded even more. While situations caused Danny to not be there for Sky at a very crucial and heartbreaking time, he was there to help her heal. And in many ways, she was as well for him.

One of the things I love most about Cassandra's writing is how she not only tells us a story, but she shows us one. She creates storylines and secondary characters that bring everything full circle...that bring a book to life. You can't help but feel emotionally invested in these different journeys and root for happy endings. I was walking alongside the characters through every up and down, twist and turn. I've noticed that always happens while I'm reading one of Ms. Giovanni's novels.

I cannot wait to see more of these characters! Seriously! Joey, Aaron, Zack—such great guys! Funny, witty, sexy, down to earth, and completely realistic and relatable. They were my "brothers" too! One other thing I loved about them was that while they were in a band and they'd gotten pretty famous, there wasn't any made up or unnecessary drama that's usually involved in books with musicians. Issues within this book went beyond drama. They were real, heartbreaking situations that brought all of the characters together.

All in all, a great read and one I recommend you pick up!

— ABOUT THE AUTHOR —

Cassandra doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character’s stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. She writes various genres but is most well known for her New Adult novels in various sub-genres including contemporary romance, and speculative fiction. In addition to being a published author, Cassandra is a full-time successful financial marketer and part-time photographer. When she’s not making the characters in her head come to life she either has her bow and arrows or long board skateboard in hand. She’s happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.

Cassandra Giovanni is published by Show n’ot Tell Publishing based out of Connecticut, USA.